Corruption at DPRDs
For the last three years, since the endorsement of Law No. 22/1999 on regional autonomy, we have seen the country increasing in "legislative power" -- both at the provincial as well as the regental levels. Recent events have made sensible Indonesians feel very concerned about the behavior of regional legislative council (DPRD) members.
The ambiguous articles of the law, which are open to multiple interpretations, have been exploited by several councillors to enrich themselves. Article 19.1.G, for instance, says that the DPRD has the right to determine its budget, and Article 21.2 says that the financial arrangement of the DPRD is regulated according to the council's self-determined procedures. Article 29.5 further says that the DPRD Secretariat's budget is determined by the council.
The exploitation of these loopholes has paid off, but thanks to the vigilance of regional non-governmental organizations and prosecutors who brought the irregularities to the courts, the pay-off was only temporary.
In Padang, West Sumatra, 40 councillors have been named suspects in a corruption case, including its DPRD Speaker, the alleged mastermind; the Tanggamus DPRD Speaker was detained and is being held in a cell at the Lampung Prosecutor's Office (The Jakarta Post, Aug. 20); in Palembang, South Sumatra, 74 councillors are to be investigated by authorities; in Bandung, West Java, councillors are being held up to scrutiny by the public and prosecutors for billions of rupiah in "kaveling (land plot) funds" they had embezzled.
Besides the corrupt cases above, other councillors throughout many regions have shown their lack of sense of crisis in abusing their budgeting authority by setting their salaries and retirement funds unreasonably high.
In Bandar Lampung, councillors requested a 500 percent salary increase. In Kutai Timur regency, East Kalimantan, and Sragen Regency, Central Java, they asked for pensions of Rp 300 million and Rp 50 million, respectively. Not to mention the latest controversy in Jakarta and Malang regency, East Java, where councillors requested a Rp 2.5 billion wardrobe allowance.
Bearing these cases in mind, it is highly appropriate that the above Law be revised -- the latest information from the Ministry of Home Affairs indicated that the draft revision would be ready by the end of October. The draft revision, of course, should provide a proper and effective supervisory mechanism in regards financial matters by involving the expertise of the Ministry of Finance and other relevant institutions.
M. RUSDI Jakarta